


The Ties That Unbound

by muses_circle, xtremeroswellian



Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [4]
Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: After effects of brainwashing, Dean misses John, F/M, Friendship, Insomnia, Kissing, Late Night Conversations, Love, Supportive Chloe Sullivan, Supportive Dean Winchester, psychic powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muses_circle/pseuds/muses_circle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: The gang heads to Kansas to meet with an old friend of the Winchester's, seeking answers.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Sarah Blake, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester/Chloe Sullivan, Sam Winchester & Chloe Sullivan, Sam Winchester/Sarah Blake
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722754
Kudos: 1





	The Ties That Unbound

Sam glanced at Sarah sideways as he clutched onto the steering wheel of the Impala. "We're normally not in the car this long." 

She smiled softly, looking back at him. "Oh, so I can't watch you as you drive for more than twelve hours at a time?" she whispered flirtatiously. Though it had taken a lot of time and griping with her father, Sarah was all-too pleased to be with Sam.

"Hey, we're in... a hurry," Dean growled in a low voice, his arm slung around Chloe, whose color had not improved since they'd let New York. 

His gaze flickered to the rearview where he looked at his brother with questioning eyes. "I'm already pushing 75, Dean." 

"Push harder, Sammy." As hard as he'd pushed the Impala before, Dean thought Sam would know how to drive by now. Leaning foreword, he kissed Chloe's cheek and whispered, "You okay?" 

"I'm all right," she murmured, closing her eyes and just resting her head against his shoulder tiredly. 

Sighing softly and sensing he was out of the loop on something, Sam pushed his foot harder against the gas pedal. 

Sarah scooted over to sit closer to Sam. "Where are we going, exactly?" She put her head gently against his shoulder. 

He glanced in the rearview once more before lowering his voice so only she could hear him. "Lawrence," he whispered. 

"Oh." She sensed Sam wasn't going to say anything more about it until they were alone... and based on how often Sam was looking in the backseat, she'd guess it had something to do with Dean and Chloe.

"You need to try to sleep, Chloe," Dean whispered, planting a small kiss on her head. "We'll stop soon." He glanced up into the rearview mirror again, his eyes filled with more worry than usual. 

Sam met his brother's eyes and knew for sure there was something going on he was unaware of and that made him uneasy and worried. Nodding slightly, he sped up even more, focusing on the road once again. "I figure we can stop some place at the edge of the state. Is that all right with everyone?" 

"It's fine with me," Chloe said tiredly. 

"Yeah, dude, how much longer is that gonna be?" Dean asked. 

"About eighty miles. We'll be there by sunset," he said grimly, watching the speedometer on the dash board. 

Feeling suddenly like the outsider that she was, Sarah went back to her original position, slouching down into the seat and letting her eyes drift off to sleep. She just hoped that, whatever was going on, things would be okay.

Dean nodded solemnly at Sam and turned back to Chloe, who had thankfully at least closed her eyes. Wrapping her against him with his arms, he leaned her against him so she could rest a little. 

It was odd having not one, but two girls in the car with them, Sam mused, glancing from Sarah to Chloe in the rearview. Not in a bad way, just different. He and Dean had spent so much time alone on the road together he'd almost forgotten what it was like to have females around on a regular basis. 

"Hmm, wake me up when we get there?" Sarah asked Sam, her eyes closed but a faint smile on her face. 

"I will," he promised softly, a faint smile touching his own lips. Yeah. It was gonna be an interesting change. 

&&&&&

A couple hours later, Dean found himself curled up beside Chloe in the room she and Sarah would share. Sam seemed to want to spend time with Sarah as soon as they got checked in, which was fine. He wanted to be as close to Chloe as possible.

Thoughts of her possible pregnancy and who had knocked her up remained with him all day, making him want to jump out of his skin. He itched to have them take a detour into Smallville so he could kill Clark, though he couldn't tell Chloe that. He stroked her head gently. "How you feeling?" 

"Mostly I'm just tired...and... a little freaked out," she admitted, her eyes remaining shut. 

"Mind if I freak out with you, then?" he asked, deadpan serious. 

She almost choked on a half-sob, half-laugh. "Feel free." 

"It's not funny, dammit." His growl close to her ear, he nuzzled the tender part of her neck. 

"Believe me when I say know." If he only realized just how unfunny the whole situation was. She was possibly knocked up by her former best friend who, oh yeah, was an alien from another planet. God, her life was screwed up. 

He sighed, feeling her tension and shared that. "What are we going to do if... you know...?" He hasn't realized he said we until he'd already asked the question. 

"I don't know," she whispered, the weight of it resting heavily upon her like a load of bricks. "I can't go back to Smallville." 

"Kinda figured that." He frowned, wondering how she'd react if she knew they were going back to Kansas. "Isn't there some way you can, ya know... test to make sure if you are or not?" 

"Those things aren't all that accurate," she murmured, thinking of Lana. 

"But they're worth a shot, right?" The thought of having a baby around, frankly, had never occurred to him. With all the traveling he and Sam did, children were pretty much out of the picture. With Chloe, though, his life had changed. In more ways than one, now, it seemed. 

"Yeah." Her voice was quiet, subdued. It would, after all, be preferable to going to a doctor. Especially if it turned out she was pregnant. Somehow she seriously doubted a half-human, half-alien baby would appear normal on any blood tests. 

"I'll go get one for you. Maybe a couple, just in case it reads wrong." He didn't know how he was going to explain this to Sam and Sarah, but at this point, he didn't care. He wanted to ease Chloe's mind, even a fraction. 

Swallowing hard, she didn't move away from him. "Those things are supposed to be most accurate...of a morning." 

Pulling her closer to him, he whispered, "Guess I'll get some for you in the morning, then. Not like I wanna leave you." 

Truthfully, she didn't want him to. Regardless of how confusing things were between them, she had to admit--if only to herself--she felt better when he was around. Safer. Nodding slightly she rested a hand over his heart. "Thank you," she whispered. 

Chuckling a little bit, he mused, "Sam's gonna love me for this, but... I think Sarah needs to stay in the other room with him. No way I'm leaving you. Not now." He kissed the top of her head gently, feeling so incredibly protective of her suddenly. 

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, nodding a little. "Okay." 

"Really?" He was a little surprised that she'd agree so easily. 

"You make a good pillow," she said, attempting to tease him but her voice betraying the fact she didn't want him to go anymore than he wanted to leave. 

Dean couldn't stifle another small chuckle. "You telling me that's all I'm good for?" He couldn't help but feel satisfied for the first time since he'd met her over whatever they had between them. 

"No," she said softly. "Far from it." 

Kissing her again, he eased her out of his embrace, scooting away from her. "I'm going next door long enough to get my stuff. I'll be right back, okay?" 

"Alright." She swallowed hard, watching him go and slowly sitting up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest and wondering when her life had gotten so messed up. 

Dean strode through the connecting door, only to find Sam and Sarah lip locked in what he could only define as a "make-out" kiss. "Whoa!" he said loudly, clearing his throat and diverting his eyes.

Sarah immediately let go of Sam and buried her face into his chest to hide her embarrassment. 

Sam shot him a glare. "You need something?" he asked his brother impatiently, resting his hand on the back of Sarah's head. 

"Yeah, Sarah's staying with you," he replied with a knowing smirk, pointing at Sarah. "I'm just gonna grab my stuff and... yeah." He picked up his duffel bag lying by the connecting door. 

"Chloe okay?" Sam asked, his eyebrows furrowing a little. 

Sarah lifted her head at the concerned tone in Sam's voice and turned around to look at Dean. His face mirrored that same concern. Her eyes burned with questions but she kept still.

Dean nodded solemnly. "Yeah," he said, trying to shove it off. "Can't seem to be without me, it seems." He grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. 

Sam pressed a soft kiss to Sarah's forehead. "Be right back," he murmured, offering her a small smile before rising to his feet and nodding toward the door at his brother. 

Pinching his nose between two fingers, Dean walked outside with Sam, leaving behind a very confused Sarah. "Dude, I promised her I wouldn't be gone long." Dean shut the door behind him and looked at Sam. 

"What's going on, Dean?" he asked, gazing at his brother intently. 

Remaining silent, he had absolutely no idea what to tell Sam. He stood there, staring at him, knowing that Chloe would probably kill him if he mentioned what might be wrong with her. He shrugged finally. "She's fine, dude. Just wants me around." 

"Uh huh." Sam wasn't convinced in the least. 

Looking down and sighing, he whispered, "What? You can't believe she doesn't want me around?" 

"That's not what I meant. But something's going on, Dean. I'm not stupid." 

"Never said you were, College Boy," Dean replied with a smirk, looking up and staring at his brother. 

Sighing softly, Sam looked away. "Is she all right?" he asked warily. 

He stared at his brother for a very long moment, his face devoid of all emotion. Had Sam looked at his eyes, though, he would have seen the deep profound sadness that lurked in those hazel depths. "No," he whispered finally. 

"I didn't think so," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is there anything I can do?" 

"I wish there was." He knew Sam could track down Clark in a couple heartbeats, but since neither he nor Chloe really knew if she was pregnant... Dean closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, fighting back the wave of anger, of some other unnamed emotion he suddenly felt. "Tomorrow we'll be at Missouri's?" he asked, changing the subject. 

"Yeah. By early afternoon," Sam told him, looking at him once more. 

"Good." Turning towards Chloe's door, he said, "Let's leave a little early in the morning." After I go get that pregnancy test, he thought to himself. Sneaking a look at the other room, he said, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." 

Sam smirked. "Like there's anything you wouldn't do." 

"Believe it or not, yes," Dean replied with a knowing smile before disappearing into Chloe's room. 

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head before heading back into the room he was sharing with Sarah for the night. 

Sarah had been sitting on one of the beds, waiting for Sam, so when he suddenly opened the door again, she shot up. "How's Chloe?" she asked, a worried look on her face. 

"I don't know," he admitted. "Something's not right, though." He sat down beside her. 

She sat back down uneasily next to him, their sides brushing gently as she moved. "How long have you two known her?" she asked, glancing sideways at Sam. 

"Not long. A few weeks." Sam let out a breath. "Dean... cares about her a lot." 

She smiled softly. "Yeah, kinda figured that. He's really protective of her." Shifting uncomfortably, she turned and stared at his profile. "So... sorry about earlier with... ya know..." She blushed a little at the memory of his kisses. 

Sam smiled and looked at her. "If anyone should be apologizing it's me for not locking the door. Dean has a tendency to barge right in without knocking." 

She giggled slightly. "I'll keep that in mind for the future." Standing up suddenly, she wrapped her arms around her waist. "What's in Kansas, Sam?" She was a little scared suddenly, and she didn't know why. 

The smile slipped from his face and he looked at the floor. "We have a family friend there. Her name's Missouri. She's a...she's psychic," he told her, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're taking Chloe to see her because...a few weeks ago..." He let out a breath. "We ran into a brainwashing cult in Topeka. Chloe and I infiltrated it...but..." 

She turned around, worry in her eyes. "She didn't come out unscathed," she finished, watching him carefully. "How about you? Are you... okay?" 

"I'm all right," he assured her. "Just worried about Chloe. We don't, uh...we don't know much about what her life was like before we met up with her and...I think the brainwashing may have brought some kind of trauma up for her." 

She nodded. "Brainwashing often does that. In fact, it can make a person do any manner of things." She stopped herself short and looked away. "You probably didn't wanna hear that, especially since... Do you know how she was brainwashed?" 

Sam looked at her with newfound worry in his eyes. "Sarah, what is it?" 

She softened a little. "It's nothing, Sam. I just know a little something about brainwashing, that's all. I've had lots of time to read lately." Truth be told, when she wasn't working at the auction house, she was reading anything that might pertain to the strange and unusual. It was something he'd awoken in her. 

He relaxed a little. "Oh," he answered, a little surprised. 

"Yeah, I'm just a wealth of knowledge," she replied with a soft smile. "All your fault, you know." She walked back to the bed and sat next to him again. 

"How so?" His eyebrows furrowed. 

"No," she chuckled, laying her head against his shoulder. "You two opened doors I never thought possible. Been doing my homework, in case... you know... just in case." 

Sam closed his eyes, sliding his arms around her. "Sarah, I'm sorry." 

"For what?" she whispered, burrowing herself closer against him, sliding her arms around his waist. 

"This isn't exactly a safe lifestyle. It's not...stable and it's not...easy and...." 

"Isn't this a conversation we've already had once?" she whispered, slightly amused despite the fact they were back to square one. "Sam, I'm here, and I believe I know the risks." She moved up to gaze into his worried eyes. "You think I'd be here if I didn't think I could take care of myself?" 

"That's not what I'm saying," he said softly, gazing at her. "It's just...not a lifestyle I'd wish on anyone I cared about, that's all." He touched her cheek. 

She nuzzled his hand, not breaking eye contact. "So you're either telling me you care about me... or you actually don't?" she teased lightly, though she knew exactly what he meant. His admission made her eyes fill with tears. 

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I care about you more than you know." He kissed her softly. 

Sarah closed her eyes, kissing him back, the unshed tears falling down her cheeks. She reached up and buried her hands into his hair, pulling him closer as she felt her heart pounding out of her chest. 

He cupped her cheeks in his hands as they kissed, feeling happier than he had since he could even remember. 

They could probably have kissed all night, she mused as she pulled away from him. The look in his eyes spoke of a peace and happiness that she felt as well. "I care about you, too," she whispered. "It's why I'm here for... well, for as long as you want me around." She blushed at her words and bit her lip to bite back the cheesy smile that threatened to appear. 

He smiled. "Then you're in for a long ride." 

Touching his cheek, she kissed him again softly, then pulled away again. "Is that door locked?" she asked, pointing to the connecting door. She didn't want Dean busting through again. 

A short chuckle escaped him, and he moved over and locked it. "It is now." 

Sarah's face was busting with an embarrassed smile. "Good, because... I'm sure they need some privacy, too." She looked away and played with one of her braids. The air suddenly became extremely awkward. 

"I think we could all use some rest," Sam said softly. "It's been a long day." 

"I agree." Standing up, she yawned and stretched a little. Awkwardly, she moved past him and grabbed her bag, pulling out her nightclothes and heading for the bathroom. 

He caught her arm gently. "I'm glad you came with us," he whispered. 

Turning around, she reached up and kissed him quickly. "So am I," she whispered back. Glancing at the connecting door, she suddenly realized that maybe she could help Chloe as well. 

Sam smiled faintly and reluctantly let her go. 

&&&&&

3AM. Dean looked at the clock again for the hundredth time and let out a slow breath. He looked down at Chloe, whose eyes were shut, though he didn't think she was sleeping. His arms held her against him so her head rested on his chest, but her body seemed tense and anxious. "You awake?" he whispered, breaking the silence in the dark. 

"Yeah," she whispered, not opening her eyes. She swallowed hard, every muscle in her body tense with fear and anxiety. 

He looked at the clock. 3:01. "Yeah, me too," he replied, rubbing her back with his hands, wishing he could ease the tension from her body. 

"What time is it?" Chloe asked, remaining motionless. 

"3:02," he replied flatly. He felt like he'd been looking at the clock every minute he'd gotten back and crawled back into bed with her. He worried about going back to Kansas, seeing Missouri... and whether or not she could help Chloe. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headboard. He thought of his father, of what he'd said just before he died... and grimaced in anger. It was a burden he didn't want. 

She exhaled slowly, feeling him tense beneath her and glancing up at him, finally opening her eyes. "What is it?" she whispered. 

"Nothing," he said a little too quickly, then winced as he felt her move out of his arms to sit up and look at him. "I'm thinking." He opened his eyes to find hers staring back at him in the darkness, the light from outside glittering in them. 

Chloe moved so her back was resting against the headboard. "About what?" 

It took Dean several moments to speak. He didn't know where to start. "My dad," he replied finally, staring straight ahead into the dark. 

"Oh," she whispered, shifting so her body was more turned toward him. She rested a hand on his shoulder. 

His body burned suddenly from where she touched him. He turned and looked at her, his eyes filled with the hurt and despair he'd buried since John just up and died. "I hate him, Chloe," he whispered a little brokenly. 

"Because he left you," she murmured, touching his cheek. 

"Yes." Her fingers left a trail of fire along his jaw, so he grabbed her hand and kissed her palm gently. 

Her eyes were sad and she slowly leaned closer and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry, Dean," she whispered. 

"I don't understand," he whispered, leaning against her. "He was better. I should have died. Sam and Dad should have lived. Why did he die, dammit?" He knew he was rambling, but once he opened his mouth, he couldn't keep the words back at bay. 

Chloe swallowed hard, slowly pulling him closer to her, one hand resting on the back of his neck. "I don't know." She kissed his cheek softly, closing her eyes once more. 

Her behavior, comforting though it was, seemed strange to Dean, especially since he had never mentioned it. "Sam didn't, by any chance, mention this to you, did he?" he asked slowly, a frown on his face. He didn't move from her embrace, however; he buried his face into her neck. 

"Yeah. He did." She bit her lower lip, hoping he wouldn't pull away at her soft admission. 

"Figures," he grumbled, pulling her closer to him. "He's probably pissed that I haven't talked to him about it, too." He squeezed her a little, not wanting to let her go. 

"He's just...he's just worried, Dean," she murmured. 

"I know he is." 

"So am I." Her voice was quiet. 

Sighing, he said nothing. Just kept himself firmly tucked into her embrace, as if his life depended on it. He knew he'd been living on borrowed time... had been for a long time. He knew, deep down, that he should have died in that hospital. Not Dad. Especially not when he'd known something about Sam that could change their lives forever. 

Chloe kissed his cheek again, softly, a mixture of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "You can talk to me," she whispered. "I'm a good listener." 

"I... don't know if I can," he whispered, gently rubbing her back in comfort. He'd felt her body quiver and didn't want to overload her. Not now, not when... He swallowed loudly. 

Resting her chin on his shoulder, she didn't push the issue. "When you're ready...I'll be here." 

"It's not that, Chlo," he whispered, shifting so he could look her in the eye. "I don't know that I can tell you what... Dad said to me before he died." He faltered and looked down, unable to go on. 

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed a little and she was silent for a moment. "Because...it was...about Sam?" 

His gaze settled on hers again. "How'd you know?" he asked, shocked and not a little dismayed. 

"I didn't. It was just a guess," she said softly, holding his gaze. 

"Good guess." 

The doubtful expression on his face nearly made her blanch. "Well I have spent the last eight years of my life as a reporter." 

He mustered a sad smile. "I know that," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers. Closing his eyes, he continued. "You feeling any better?" 

"Not quite as nauseous as I was." 

"Any chance that might just be... because you haven't eaten all day?" he asked with a hopeful note. 

"Anything's possible I guess," she murmured, not sounding convinced. 

Moving back to look at her, Dean put a hesitant hand in her stomach. "What if...? Are you... I mean, what are we gonna do?" He looked at her uncertainly. 

Looking down at the bed, she exhaled slowly. "I guess...that'll be the end of the road for me," she answered quietly. 

"Then it'll be the end for me, as well," he replied with a definitive note in his voice, his eyes never straying from hers. 

Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" 

He stared at her. "You think I'm going to leave you alone? That I'm just going to walk away from you... leave you? Hell no." He couldn't believe he was saying this, but after losing his mother at such a young age, he knew the pain of not having a parent around. He blinked in surprise. Parenthood. What a foreign concept to him... and something he was suddenly so interested in taking on. For her. To be close to her. 

Chloe stared at him in shock. "Dean...." 

He looked down, unable to handle the shock and surprise in her features. "I mean it," he whispered. Sam could go back to school and live a normal life with Sarah. And he... he could be with Chloe. 

Feeling overwhelmed once more, she swallowed hard, unable to take her gaze off him. He was serious. What exactly did that mean? "But...this isn't your responsibility," she whispered. 

"Then why does it feel like it is?" he rasped, unable to meet her eyes. 

"I don't know," she said softly, tucking some hair behind her ear. 

"I still mean it," he repeated, forcing himself to look into her eyes, uncertain and afraid. "I'm different now, because of you." And the longer she was around him, the more he wondered about life outside of the hunt. 

She met his eyes once more, her eyes filled with sadness and confusion...and a faint glimmer of hope. "I hope you mean in a good way." 

He chuckled. "You waiting for me to turn psycho-killer on you?" He'd meant that as a joke, but watching her face fall and pale, he immediately said, "That was a joke, Chloe. Yes, in a good way." 

"Well...it's not like the psycho-killer would be a first," she said glumly. 

"But I kill the psycho-killers; I don't become one." He leaned in a kissed her lips gently, to try to reassure her. 

She closed her eyes, returning the soft kiss without really thinking about it. 

Groaning, Dean pulled her to him, moving his mouth across hers. Her kiss sent him reeling, and for a moment it felt like their souls had suddenly become intertwined. It was this thought that made him pull away, breaking the kiss, his face confused and filled with fear. 

Startled both by her own response and by his sudden pulling back, she bit her lower lip and looked down at the bed, her heart beating quickly in her chest. 

He stroked her cheek with his hand. "I'm not gonna apologize for that," he whispered, moving to brush her hair away from her face. 

"Okay," she whispered, still not looking at him. 

Frowning, he pulled away from her and lay down on the bed, looking at the clock. 4AM. Well, at least time passed, he thought, turning to look up at the ceiling. He tucked his hands beneath him and closed his eyes. 

After a moment, she slowly stretched out beside him once more, pulling the blanket over both of them. "Goodnight," she whispered. 

&&&&&

Holding the small brown bad in his hand, Dean got out of the Impala and stuffed it into his jacket. Hunching down against the crisp cold of the morning, he strode quickly to Chloe's door and unlocked it. "Chloe," he whispered, opening the door and shutting it behind him. "I have that... thing... you need." He snapped on the light and looked at her, still lying in bed, though her eyes were open. 

A fresh wave of nausea washed over her and she pressed a hand to her head. She sat up very slowly, looking deathly pale. "Thanks," she whispered. 

"Don't," he said tersely, picking her up. "Let me. Looks like you're gonna pass out at any time." 

"Right now I'm more worried about keeping down last night's dinner," she said grimly, resting her head against his shoulder. 

"Then I'll walk fast." He kicked the bathroom door open and put her down on the edge of the bathtub. Pulling out the brown bag, he threw it on the sink. 

She stared at the bag for a long moment, her heart beginning to pound heavily in her chest. 

He sat down heavily beside her, looking at the bag, too. "Yeah... going through the checkout lane was... awkward." He looked down and felt his cheeks grow warm. "Lady kept eyeing my ring finger." He blew out a breath in frustration. 

"I'm sorry," Chloe whispered, feeling both guilty and uncomfortable. 

"Don't be," he replied, slinging an arm around her. "Not like you've got the stamina to drive." He kissed her clammy cheek and stood up. "I'm... uh... gonna let you do... whatever." 

"Yeah, peeing on a stick isn't something most girls need an audience for," she said wryly. 

Grimacing, he said, "You have to pee on a stick?" 

She made a face and reached for the bag. "Yeah. Lucky me." 

Swallowing hard, Dean mustered a smile and hauled ass out the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He sat down on the bed heavily and sighed. Fumbling for the remote, he turned on the TV. It would be a long several minutes. 

Leaving the test on the bathroom sink, she emerged a few moments later, moving to sit wordlessly on the bed. She stared blankly at the clock. 

With a permanent frown creasing his brow, Dean had idly been flipping through the channels, his mind on what had been going on in the bathroom. "How long?" he whispered, his voice tight. 

"Ten minutes." She laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, swallowing hard. She wondered what she'd do if she was pregnant. She wondered what Clark would do if he found out. That alone made her feel more nauseous as she thought about how that particular conversation would go. Hey, Clark. So you know how you were all high on Red-K and slept with me? Well I'm carrying your child but I'm on the road with a couple guys you'd probably hate, and one of their girlfriends. Yeah. That'd go over well. 

"Ten minutes," he repeated, shutting off the TV and lying back next to her, looking up at the ceiling, not touching her. Her pale face didn't betray what she'd been thinking about, but he guessed her mind was focused on whether or not she was pregnant with... Dean blinked back a sudden burst of anger. I can't even say the dude's name without the need to waste him, he thought. How could anyone do what Clark did to Chloe? he wondered briefly before it suddenly occurred to him that he'd probably done the same thing in the past. He visibly winced and regretted being that kind of guy. That only reinforced his belief that she might be better off without him around. 

"I'm scared, Dean," she whispered almost inaudibly. "Really scared." 

Silently, he took her hand and threaded his fingers with hers. "I'm here," he whispered. 

She gripped onto his hand tightly, holding her breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. Which of course, just made her more anxious. 

Feeling her anxiety level increase ten-fold, Dean turned and looked at her. "Hey, do we need to make out for the next... eight minutes to keep your mind off things?" 

"Could we?" she joked weakly. 

Turning onto his side so he was facing her, he whispered, "You just have to say the word... and I'm down with it." He smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes that masked the tension he really felt about whether she was or not. 

A smile tugged at her lips despite her anxiety. "You're sweet." 

Leaning into her, he nipped at her lips lightly. "The sweetest," he whispered, trying to reassure her. 

Chloe closed her eyes, lifting one hand to his cheek and kissing him softly. 

Keeping their contact light, he gently returned her kisses, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "I could definitely do this for awhile," he muttered against her mouth. 

Me too, she thought, pushing all thoughts out of her head as she shifted closer. 

Dean's body hardened as she strained to move closer to him, their bodies pressing together. Their kisses became heated and more passionate; they seemed to fit together, he thought, stroking her back with his hands. He stifled a groan when he felt her hand dig into his hair. 

Pulling away a little in order to breathe, she shuddered involuntarily as her cheeks flooded with heat. Kissing Dean was not like kissing Clark. Dean actually kissed back, for one. It wasn't like kissing Jimmy, either. Because the kisses with Dean were intense, passionate, urgent. With Jimmy everything was just...sweet. 

Dean frowned at her sudden absence. "What's the matter?" he asked quietly, looking at her flushed yet curious face. 

"Nothing," she answered, smiling faintly and gazing at him. 

"You sure?" He pulled her close to him again, putting his forehead against hers and looking at her, the twinkle still in his eyes. 

"I'm sure," Chloe said softly, her hand still lingering on his cheek. A wave of guilt washed over her as she began to mentally berate herself for using him to get through a few difficult moments. 

"Turn your brain off for a few more minutes, Ms. Sullivan," he whispered, leaning into her and taking her mouth in a long hot kiss, not taking no for an answer. 

A soft groan escaped her as he pulled her body flush against his, his mouth exploring her own as she let him. Her fingers traced soft circular patterns on his cheek as once again all thoughts except of this moment flew from her mind. 

Her response excited him way too much, considering the mess they currently found themselves in. And maybe, just maybe, she needed to let some of her frustration go. Exploring the inner recesses of her mouth, he was more than willing to let her use him for that purpose. His hands, massaging her back, tried to ease the tension from her weary muscles, though they itched to explore the rest of her body. 

Her other hand moved to rest against his chest, over his heart, feeling it beat beneath the palm of her hand and relaxing a little. A soft sigh escaped her as his fingers gently massaged her neck as they continued to kiss. 

He felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest: she really didn't know what she was doing to him. He dragged his mouth from hers to drop kisses along her jaw line and neck slowly, his breathing heavy and his body hard with need. Unfortunately, his eyes happened to catch the clock and he stopped, knowing it was time. The results, he thought miserably. 

She knew as soon as he paused that it was because it was time. "That was the quickest ten minutes ever," she mumbled, slowly sitting up, her anxiety crashing down upon her once more. 

His body screamed as he let her go, and it took him a full minute to recover. "Too damn quick," he whispered, breathing heavily. He never for a second thought he'd ever meet anyone who had affected him as deeply as Chloe Sullivan had. Grabbing her hand, he looked at her. "Want me to go in there with you?" He saw her intense fear and frowned. 

Swallowing hard, she turned to look at him and nodded wordlessly, her eyes wide with fear. 

Squeezing her hand, he stood up and pulled her up, holding her for a moment before leading her into the bathroom. Eyeing the pregnancy stick warily, he said, "I'm gonna... let you do the honors." He smiled gently at her, though his eyes didn't mirror it. 

Holding her breath, Chloe looked down at the stick and then shut her eyes. Two pink lines. Feeling dizzy, she leaned heavily against the sink for support. 

"Oh no," he whispered, watching her clutch at the sink and moving behind her to hold onto her. She looked like she wanted to slide into the sink. "Two pink lines? Does that mean...?" He swallowed hard. "That's a yes, isn't it?" 

"Yeah. That's a yes," she answered dully, dropping the test into the garbage can and staring at the sink without seeing it. 

Pulling her back to him and wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the back of her neck and held her to him. He knew this meant a hard road for her, especially since she may or may not tell Clark. If she did, though, he'd make damn sure he was going to be there. His body, still heated with desire, wanted her, yet he felt so guilty about all the making out they'd engaged in. 

"Wow, when I screw up, I really screw up." 

"That's crap and you know it," he replied in her ear, holding onto her for dear life. "It's all that bastard's fault." 

"It's not like I said no," Chloe said quietly. 

"But... did he give you much of a choice?" 

She let out a slow breath. "It's...it wasn't like that." 

With his heart about to crack from the strain, he rasped, "Then what was it?" He kept his arms around her, though his body stiffened a little. 

She leaned back against him. "I wanted him too. I just...should've realized...he wasn't himself," she whispered. 

Feeling his heart break clean in two, he nodded mutely, leaning his forehead against the back of hers. He'd been wondering about that, honestly, and despite the fact that she'd responded to him so favorably, Dean harbored no such thoughts of her ever returning his feelings. Not if she still loved Clark. 

"It doesn't matter now," she said, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly. "What's done is done. I just have to figure out what to do now." 

In so many ways, it mattered, Dean thought, backing away from her. He had a feeling that, despite his resolve to take care of her and give up this life, she wasn't going to let him. Because, deep down, he understood she'd be better off without him. 

Chloe slowly turned to face him, her eyes sad. "You look like you just lost your best friend." 

He looked down, unable to meet her eyes. "I think I just did," he admitted before he had a chance to think about what he was saying. 

Tears stung her eyes and she reached out and touched his arm. "Are you saying...you think of me as your best friend?" she asked in muted shock. 

Dean closed his eyes and looked away, his jaw tense and working. "Don't worry about it. You gotta... think about yourself." He turned and left the bathroom. 

Chloe stared after him for a long moment, then slowly followed him out of the bathroom, feeling dazed. 

Walking out into the main room, he dragged out his duffel and crammed his gear into it. "We need to get going, Chlo," he replied, his voice casually calm, though he wouldn't look at her. 

Confused and a little hurt, she bit her lip. "Yeah, you should." 

"No, dammit, we are going," he said, zipping his back and slinging it over his shoulder. "I'm not leaving you." 

She was silent for a moment. "I don't think there's a lot I'll be able to do like this." 

"I guess helping me hang onto my thread of sanity doesn't count," he muttered, looking up with his haunted and hurting eyes to stare at her. 

"That's not what I meant." 

"Then what did you mean?" he demanded. "You're not taking off on your own, no matter how badly you probably want to get back to Clark and tell him the news. I'll go after you if you try to leave." He stared at her, his words harsh and lined with steel, but behind them laid his broken heart. Something he'd done to himself, because he loved this foolish, intelligent woman. 

She flinched, winding her arms around herself. "The last thing I wanna do is go back to Smallville," she replied, not looking at him. 

He took a couple steps forward. "Then where the hell do you think you're gonna go?" he rasped. "What can't you do with me that you can somewhere else?" 

"I don't wanna be a burden. You guys have enough to deal with as it is!" 

"How is it a fucking burden if I love you and want to keep you around, so you'll be safe?!" he yelled, not caring if Sam and Sarah heard in the other room. 

Chloe stared at him wide eyed, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes. "What?" she whispered. 

Dropping his gear, Dean grabbed her, seeing the tears in her eyes and fighting ones that threatened to make themselves known in his own eyes. "I love you, Chloe. I love you, dammit," he whispered a little brokenly before covering his mouth with hers in a blinding kiss. 

A soft sob escaped her as she kissed him back, his arms sliding around her and pulling her close. She slid her hands through his hair without thinking about it. 

With one hand grabbing onto her back, keeping her close, he ran the other through her hair, urged on by her response. He didn't care if she could return the words as long as he'd finally gotten them out. He explored her mouth, their lips locked together in harmony... even if it smacked a little of desperation. 

It occurred to her that this is exactly what had gotten her into this situation to begin with...except this time she was going to be the one hurting someone. A tear trickling down her cheek, she slowly broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against his. She wasn't going to be like Clark Kent. She wasn't going to do that to someone else. Especially not the man in front of her. 

"No more talk of leaving," he whispered brokenly. "Please." He knew she still wanted to leave, but he would fulfill his vow to follow her if she left him. 

"Okay," she whispered in a strained voice. "No more talk of leaving." 

Sniffing, he took a step back, wiping away the tear that stained her cheek. "We'll get through this, okay? Missouri will help us out." Looking at the time, he winced. "Sam and Sarah are probably waiting for us." 

Looking confused, she shook her head a little. "Who's Missouri?" 

Knowing she wasn't going to be happy about this, he took another deep breath. "She's an old friend. She called Sam and said she had some info about Dad... and why he died. Though we'd go see her, because she wants us to come." He released her and picked up his things again. 

"Oh." She bit her lip a little and tucked some hair behind her ear. "We should get going then." 

"Yeah." Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he walked to the door. "I'll wait for you outside." Turning the knob, he left before she had the chance to say anything else. 

Chloe watched him go before moving to pack her own things, dazed and tired and afraid all at once. And if she was honest with herself, a little relieved. At least she wasn't alone. 

&&&&&

Dean had pushed the Impala to incredible lengths, literally making her suck the gas as he sped them towards Lawrence, Kansas to Missouri's house. The music was cranked up, the heater on full-blast, and he hoped to God that Chloe didn't toss herself out of the car once she realized where they were headed. At least it wasn't near Smallville, he thought, checking out her pale features from his peripheral vision.

He snuck a look in the rearview mirror at Sam, who kept looking at Sarah with what he could only assume was his "puppy dog I'm in love" look. It was disgusting, though secretly Dean was jealous of whatever they had between each other. Rolling his eyes, he snarked, "Get a room, you two." 

Chloe started out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice and she glanced over to see him looking in the rearview mirror. Realizing he wasn't talking to her, she stared out the window once more. 

"Shut it, Dean," Sam said with gritted teeth, shooting his brother a warning look. 

"Had that much fun last night, huh," he shot back with his laziest grin, too happy to see Sam give him a look that might have set the car on fire.

Sarah, casting worried glances between the brothers, took Sam's hand gently and squeezed it. She refused to dignify that with a remark. 

Chloe sighed softly. "I need to stop," she whispered, not looking at Dean. 

"Okay," he said, leaving Sam alone to focus his entire attention on her. She hadn't looked at him, acknowledged him, since she'd gotten in the face. And he couldn't admit how badly that hurt. "There's a gas station about five minutes from here."

Sarah gently touched Chloe's shoulder with her free hand, worry written over her face. "You okay?" she whispered. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." She forced a smile and tucked some hair behind her ear. 

Sam met his brother's eyes in the rearview, his gaze filled with worry. Something was obviously very wrong, because Chloe was being even quieter than she had been. And that was saying something. 

The minutes ticked by. The gas station didn't come quickly enough for his taste, either, Dean though as he pulled into the Shell station and up to a gas pump. "Need gas anyways," he said out loud, getting out and moving the seat forwards for anyone to get out. 

Sam gave Sarah's hand a light squeeze, then climbed out of the back of the Impala, looking intently at his brother. 

Meanwhile, Chloe headed out of the car and into the station before anyone could say anything to her. 

"All right, man, what's going on?" 

Dean ignored his brother, grabbing the gas pump and starting to fill the Impala's tank with gas.

Sarah watched Chloe make a beeline into the gas station market, so she got out and followed, knowing that Chloe probably needed some support. She knew Sam could handle his brother. 

"Seriously." Sam reached out and caught his brother's arm. "Tell me what's going on, Dean." 

Yanking his arm from Sam's grasp, he turned to stare at him angrily. "That's for Chloe to decide, dammit." He turned back to the gas pump, fuming over the fact that he wanted to tell Sam but was afraid of her reaction if he did. Hadn't he flown off the handle at Sam for telling Chloe stuff behind his back?

He stared at his older brother for a long moment, shook his head a little and headed away from the car. 

Staring at the amount of gallons going into the car, he sighed and whispered, "She's pregnant." 

Sam froze in his tracks, slowly turning to face Dean, wide-eyed. "What?" 

He nodded silently, putting the gas nozzle back into the cradle and capping the Impala again. When he turned around to grab his wallet out of the car, he saw Sam's face and frowned. "Dude, it wasn't me!" 

Closing his eyes, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh man," he murmured. 

"Yeah." Grabbing his wallet, he stood upright again and glanced at the storefront. No sign of Chloe... or Sarah, for that matter. He looked back at his brother. "Just found out this morning." 

"How far along? Does she know?" 

Holding up his hands, he said, "I don't know. She's not taking it too well." He looked back at the car and muttered, "Bastard." 

Sam's eyes darkened. "From this Clark guy?" he asked lowly. 

"Yes." His hands tightened into fists, his wallet taking the brunt of his anger at the moment. He couldn't wait to wrap his hands around this guy's neck. 

His jaw clenched involuntarily. "Then I say we drop the girls at Missouri's and take a detour." 

"I'm all for it, man. This dude's gonna pay for what he did to her..." He let his voice fall at that, because he knew Chloe didn't want them handling it. Not like that. "But I don't think we should. Not right now, anyways." He looked up at Sam with a frustrated face. 

Sam drew in a breath and let it out slowly, feeling almost as upset and frustrated at his brother. "We'll figure something out." 

Moving away from the car and towards the store, he nodded for his brother to follow. "She keeps trying to leave," he said in a low voice. 

He slowly followed Dean toward the store, growing worried. "You think she's trying to...seclude herself from everyone as some sort of punishment?" 

He shrugged. "I wish I knew, man. Maybe. But just so you know... she leaves, I'm following her." His determination came through his voice as they walked into the store and over to the small snack bar to stock up on food. 

"You're not the only one." 

For the first time that morning, Dean smiled. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that." Grabbing a bunch of stuff from the shelves, he looked at Sam and smirked. "So you glad we switched rooms last night?' He threw a glance over towards the Ladies' room, trying to keep it light despite his worry. 

Sam rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling in response. 

&&&&&

It took Chloe a couple minutes to catch Sarah's reflection in the mirror as the other woman stood behind her. She finished drying her face before slowly turning around. 

Sarah managed to smile as she caught Chloe's look in the mirror. She'd never seen someone as fragile or as upset at this woman was. She didn't have a clue what to say to her, but anything was worth the effort. "It's nice to stretch the legs," she said casually, moving to the sink to wash her hands. 

"Yeah," Chloe said faintly, winding her arms around herself. 

Noticing the utterly depressed look on the blonde's face, Sarah dried her hands and turned to face her. "How do you deal with Sam and Dean's banter, especially in the car? I mean, they can really be..." She smiled to herself and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Sometimes... I talk too much." 

"No, you're fine," she said softly. "I pretty much just...tune them out." She managed a small smile. "Don't worry, you'll pick up that ability in no time." 

"Good to know." She looked down for a moment, scuffing the tiled floor with her foot. "Look, Chloe, I don't know what's going on, but... I wanted to tell you that I'm a good listener and problem-solver. Plus I'm a girl, and who doesn't need an extra girlfriend, right?" She wanted to her Chloe, especially since she'd noticed the spark and intelligence behind those dull eyes. 

She gazed at Sarah silently for a moment. "I'm sort of...in a big mess," she admitted in a soft whisper. 

She leaned against the sink. "Can I ask... what kind of mess?" Her eyes darkened with worry. 

Chloe looked down at the dirty tile floor. "I'm pregnant." 

Blinking in surprise, she was momentarily stunned. "Wow. I'd, uh, say congratulations, but I get the impression you didn't see this coming." 

A wry smile touched her lips. "Understatement," she whispered, leaning against the wall. 

"I assume it isn't...?" She nodded her head in the direction of the door, where undoubtedly Dean would probably be hovering by now. 

She shook her head a little. "No, it's..." Chloe exhaled slowly. "Someone from my past." 

Cocking her head, Sarah nodded silently. "I take it he doesn't know?" 

"No, he doesn’t," she said softly. "And...he's not going to." 

"Probably a good thing," she replied with a sad smile. "Most guys can't handle the whole Hey, I'm pregnant and you knocked me up scenario." She rolled her eyes and cursed the majority of men. 

"Yeah, and...well, Clark's...got more important things in his future than me and a kid he never intended to have," Chloe said, her voice dull. 

Sarah reached over and put a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "If he's that full of himself, then he doesn't deserve to have either of you in his life," she said softly, a comforting smile on her face. Besides, she thought, Chloe'd probably have a better fighting chance with the Winchesters than anyone else. 

She didn't attempt to correct the other woman, knowing she couldn't do so without spilling the truth about Clark. And that was something she would never do...no matter what he'd done to her. Looking weary, she let out a breath. "You think the guys are ready to hit the road again?" 

Squeezing the blonde's shoulder in affirmation, she smirked a little. "Yeah, Dean's probably ready to bust down this door looking for you." 

Chloe glanced up at her, sadness in her eyes. "Yeah." 

Sarah's smile faded at the look in the other woman's eyes. There was so much she had missed out on, so much she wanted to know more about... but she was too hesitant to ask this woman about anything else. "It's okay. I got your back," she whispered, moving to the door and holding it open. Fortunately, she saw the guys at the cashiers. "Good, they're not looking. Maybe we can sneak out without them seeing."

A small smile tugged at Chloe's lips. She had a feeling she and Sarah could wind up being good friends if she stuck around. She followed the other woman closely and they managed to sneak out the door before the guys realized they were gone. "You wanna sit up front?" 

She smiled. "Doesn't really matter to me, though it might be funny watching Dean squirm, knowing you're in the back with his brother." She wiggled her eyebrows just a little bit in amusement, trying to get Chloe to laugh. 

She chuckled softly. "Sam's a good guy, but..." Her gaze traveled to where Dean and Sam were at the counter just inside. 

"Dean's the one that's got your attention," Sarah replied, following her gaze and watching the brothers banter over something while they paid for the large purchases in the bags. "Guess that leaves Sam for me," she said with a smile in her voice. 

"I guess that works out pretty well...except the part with me and Dean," she murmured, looking away. 

Moving to the car and waiting for the guys to come out, she looked at Chloe. "You like him?" she asked. "Cause it's pretty obvious how he feels about you." 

"I like him," she said softly. "But that just means it's gonna end terribly." 

Sarah frowned and was about to speak when she saw Sam and Dean approach the car. "Guess I got shotgun," she said out loud, looking at Chloe as she spoke. 

Sam glanced from Sarah to Chloe and then at Dean. "Guess I'm driving," he said with a smirk, taking the keys from his brother.

"But I wanted to drive," Dean grumbled, reluctantly letting Sam take the keys. He opened the driver's side and climbed into the back with a frown.

Sarah smiled at Sam but turned to Chloe. "We'll talk later, okay?" 

Chloe nodded slightly. "Thanks," she whispered, crawling into the backseat beside Dean. 

Sam started the car and smiled at Sarah before glancing in the backseat. "Everyone ready?" 

Dean scowled at his brother as he scooted Chloe close to him. "Drive. Now. And if you do anything to hurt my girl, I'll --"

Sarah laughed. "Sam, is he talking about the car?" 

He smirked. "These days...hard to tell." 

"Funny, very funny," Dean snapped from the back. He turned to look at Chloe as he heard the Impala roar into life and take off. She didn't look as pale, which was a good sign. Maybe Sarah had helped her a little. He pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head as he did. 

Closing her eyes, she leaned against him. And when they passed the sign that said Welcome to Kansas she was asleep. 

&&&&&

Missouri was standing on her front porch when the Impala roared into her driveway. A faint, somewhat sad smile on her face, she watched as Sam and Dean climbed out of the front and back simultaneously, followed by two very pretty girls--a brunette whose name Missouri knew almost instantly--Sarah. And a pretty blonde girl. Chloe. Tilting her head to one side, she nodded at the boys as they approached, Dean sliding an arm around Chloe's shoulders and Sam taking Sarah's hand. "Long time no see, boys." 

"Yeah, we don't get out here much anymore, Missouri," Dean replied with a smirk. "But it's good to see you." 

"Come here, boy." She smiled and held her arms out. 

Reluctantly letting Chloe go, he stepped up to Missouri and hugged her quickly, a short hug that made him feel awkward with other people watching.

Sarah let Sam's hand go and whispered, "She'll probably ask for you, next." She thought it a little funny to see Dean hugging this older woman, who seemed to have a lot of power. She just... felt it. 

Missouri patted Dean on the back before turning and hugging Sam. "Hello, Sammy." 

"Hey, Missouri." Sam smiled faintly and hugged her back. 

She stepped away to gaze at Sarah first, then Chloe. "Well, aren't you two lovely. Come on in. Have a seat. I'll make some tea." 

Blushing a little, Sarah smiled at the woman and let Chloe go ahead of her before following them into the house. 

She motioned the boys inside behind her and shut the door. "I'm so sorry to hear about your daddy," she said softly, her eyes sad as she led them into the living room. 

Dean just looked at the old woman, the anger in his eyes speaking volumes over what he thought of his father dying. He caught hold of Chloe's hand again and sat down with her on the couch.

"Thanks, Missouri," Sam said softly, his eyes downcast, as he took a seat in a chair not far from where Sarah had sat.

"Can I help you get the tea?" Sarah offered, feeling the tension in the room as thick as a knife. 

"That'd be really sweet, Sarah." Missouri smiled at her and headed into the kitchen." 

Sarah looked at Sam, smiling, and got up, following Missouri into the kitchen.

Watching Sarah go, Dean turned to Chloe, who had said nothing. "Missouri's a friend. She's okay, really." When she isn't reading minds, that is, he thought. 

"And a psychic one," she commented, looking between the guys. 

"Well, yeah, there's that," Sam replied, giving Dean a look. "I think she can help with you and whatever that preacher did you to." He glanced at the kitchen. 

Chloe looked at him, startled. "That's why we're here?" 

Shooting Sam a 'nice job' glare, Dean replied, "Mostly we're here to see if Missouri can tell us more about Dad dying, but... yeah, maybe she can help with that, too." He swallowed hard and waited for her to bolt out of the room. 

Too tired to argue, she simply rested her head in her hands for a moment. Despite her uneasiness, she knew they wouldn't have brought her to anyone who would make things worse. She let out a slow breath, then leaned back against the sofa. 

Curling his arm around her, Dean whispered, "It's going to be okay." If Missouri couldn't help her, then he didn't know what they were going to do.

&&&&&

Sarah had never felt more out of place than she did in the kitchen with this elderly African-American woman. She knew nothing about her, aside from what Sam had told her, which wasn't much. Standing there, she glanced out at the main room, where she knew the other three were probably having some kind of conversation. One she wasn't sure she needed to be a part of. 

Missouri turned and looked at her, studying her for a moment. "You have nothing to be self-conscious about. Sam loves you and Chloe's got her own issues right now, but she'll come around. And Dean likes you." 

For a full moment, she didn't know what to say. Putting the tea things onto the tray, she didn't look at the woman. "Wow, uh... Sam told me you were a mind-reader, but... wow." She blushed several shades of red, especially considering she had no real clue how Sam felt about her. Certainly she never thought it was that intense. "Dean's too worried about Chloe to concern himself with me," she said with a worried smile. 

"Hmm." She nodded a little. "But he likes you nonetheless. And from that boy, that's somethin'." She offered Sarah a warm smile in return. 

Missouri's smile infused her with a sense of calm and peace, and she smiled brightly in return. "Is this ready? I'll take it into the other room," she offered. 

"It's ready." Her eyes twinkled knowingly. 

Blushing a little, she nodded and, picking up the tray, took it into the other room. She found Sam and Dean locked in what she could only describe as a stare down, with Chloe's head resting against the back of the couch, as if in pain. "Who wants something to drink?" she asked, trying to lessen the anxiety in the room.

"Could use a beer myself," Dean grumbled, though he offered a faint smile for a cup of tea. 

Chloe slowly opened her eyes and looked at the tray. "What kind is it?" she asked uncertainly. 

"Chamomile," Missouri answered before Sarah had the chance. She smiled at Chloe and sat down in her recliner, taking one of the mugs for herself. "Helps calm the nerves and cures insomnia," she told her meaningfully. 

"I'll take a gallon of it, then," Dean replied, taking a filled cup from Sarah and giving it to Chloe.

Smiling at Sarah as she handed him a cup, Sam looked at Missouri. "So Dean and I were wondering about... Dad's death." 

Missouri's smile faded and her eyes grew sad. "I don't know much," she admitted. 

"What do you know?" Dean growled under his breath, catching a look from Missouri before clearing his throat. 

She gazed at him for a long moment, cradling the mug in her hands. "That he did what he had to do," she said finally. 

Chloe's breath caught in her throat. 

Dean felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. His face fell and hardened. Looking over at Sam, he knew his brother was experiencing the same thing. They looked at each other, both unable to speak.

Clearing her throat, Sarah dared to ask, "What... does that mean?" She felt a large chasm between her and Sam, and she physically couldn't do anything about it. 

"It's not your fault, Dean." Missouri's voice was quiet. "He did what he did because he loved his boys." 

"Loved us?" Dean ground out. "I was supposed to die, Missouri, not him. How does that show he loved us?" 

"Because it's different when you're a parent," Chloe whispered, shutting her eyes as a wall of emotions hit her suddenly. 

Missouri gazed at her for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to Dean. "You will understand one day. When you have boys of your own. Or girls." 

Sam shifted in his seat uncomfortably, understanding what Missouri was telling them, though he was having too hard a time thinking to speak. He looked at Dean, watched an emotion cross his face, and knew he was thinking about Chloe and her baby.

Dean had a hard time holding Missouri's eyes, so he looked down. Just like her to bring up the subject of kids and being a father, something he'd been   
pondering the last day, ever since he found out about Chloe's condition. "Yeah, sure," he whispered to himself, squeezing Chloe's shoulders gently. 

Wordlessly, Chloe slid her arms around Dean's waist and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. 

He closed his eyes and felt her kiss him gently, that kiss saying more than any words could at that moment. It was almost as if she had accepted the fact that he would always be there for her, even help raise her child if necessary. And oh, how he loved her for that. She pulled away too quickly, though, as if aware there were eyes watching, so he opened his. And saw Missouri staring at him. "What?" he asked, a little irritable.

"Dean..." Sam began softly, trying to make his brother get a grip. 

"Sammy, Sarah...would you mind excusing the three of us for a few minutes?" Missouri asked softly, looking at the younger Winchester and the pretty brunette. 

"Sure," Sarah replied, taking Sam by the hand and standing up. "We'll just be... outside. Yeah." Tugging at him, she led him out the front door and onto the porch.

"What?" Dean repeated his question, this time louder with more frustration. 

"Dean," Chloe murmured, resting a hand on his knee without thinking about it. 

Missouri offered her a small smile. "Your problems aren't quite as bad as they seem, Chloe." 

Covering her hand with his, Dean looked at Missouri. "They can't get much worse at this point, so you gonna tell us how and stop with all the cryptic talk?" 

"Well for one...you're not pregnant, Child," she said gently. 

Chloe's face paled. "W--what?" 

Dean shared her surprised. "What? But.. the stick thing said she was!" His hand tightened over hers. 

Missouri smiled faintly. "False positive. You'd be surprised how often it happens. And it's a good thing," she said meaningfully. 

"Damn straight this is a good thing," Dean replied with a thoughtful smile. "Means I won't have to kill Clark: I'm only gonna hospitalize him." 

"I very much doubt that," Missouri said with a faint, wry smile. 

Oh, crap, Chloe thought. 

"You doubting my fighting skills, Missouri?" he demanded with a smirk. 

"Not at all, Dean." She smirked in return. "But Clark's special." 

Glancing sideways at Chloe, his face fell at her look. She looked pale and troubled. "Yeah, he must be," he responded dully, knowing how she felt about this guy. 

Missouri was silent for a moment, looking contemplative. "It's okay, Chloe. You can trust these boys," she said very softly. She looked at Dean. "Clark's not human." 

Dean's first response was to laugh. "Not human?" he asked out loud, glancing at Chloe, whose face had taken on a sickly green pallor. "Wait, you're serious?" 

"She's serious," Chloe whispered almost inaudibly, feeling nauseous. 

His thoughts swirled in several direction, pissing him off even more, if possible. Clark wasn't from this planet. Did he look human? Why did Chloe love him so much? How could he have taken advantage of her, knowing that maybe he wasn't... He bowed his head, unable to speak. He didn't let go of her hand, however. If anything, he needed to hold onto it: he threaded his fingers through hers. 

"I'll let you two talk," Missouri said softly, rising to her feet and leaving the room. 

He hadn't heard Missouri leave; he focused on her hand in his. He tried to look at her but couldn't quite raise his eyes. What Missouri had said what too unbelievable to be true. And to think... he couldn't even kick this guy's butt... it made him want to laugh. 

"Bet you weren't expecting that," she whispered sickly. 

"You must have been laughing when I kept saying how I was gonna kill him, beat him into next week," he muttered, feeling like he'd lost the will to do anything. 

She slowly pulled her hand away from his. "No, I wasn't laughing," she said quietly. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, mourning her physical presence and separation. 

"Because I swore I would never tell anyone," Chloe said softly. 

He nodded, understanding more than anything else the importance of friendship and keeping secrets when necessary. "You're too good a friend for him," he said, standing up and running his hand over his face. 

She let out a slow breath. "So you're not mad?" she whispered. 

Mad? Dean didn't know how he felt. "At you?" he asked simply. "No... but Clark... there are no words." He turned to look into her troubled green eyes. 

Biting her lower lip, she nodded a little. "Well at least I don't have to deal with a half-alien pregnancy," she said wryly. 

Dean nodded solemnly and silently. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed over the fact that she wasn't going to have a child, half-alien or not. He was beginning to like the idea of being... a father. He swallowed hard. 

Chloe gazed at him. "What you said...about...giving up this life on the road..." She swallowed hard. "It really meant a lot to me." 

"I still mean it," he whispered, looking away from her. "And I'd still kill Clark if I could." 

Tears sparkled in her eyes and she slowly moved over to where he stood, lifting a hand to his cheek silently. She kissed his lips softly then pulled away to look at him once more. "I've never met anyone like you before." 

He smiled softly, framing her face with his hands. "That's my line," he replied, moving towards her and kissing her again, this time not letting her move away so fast. 

Her eyes drifted shut as he kissed her, her hands resting against his shoulders. Part of the weight felt as though it had been lifted from her with Missouri's announcement that she wasn't going to have a baby, and for the first time in a long time, she felt an actual moment of hope. 

Reluctantly Dean broke their kiss, recognizing that anyone could come back into the room at any time. Tipping her face up so he could look at her, he whispered, "This is good news, because now we can help you un-brainwash you mind." He stroked her cheeks gently. He hoped that one day, he would see her smile and be... normal, more or less. 

"That'd be nice," she said softly, gazing into his eyes. 

He leaned in to kiss her again when he heard the door open and shut. He jumped away from her and turned around to see Sam and Sarah walk in, looking almost blue from the chill in the air outside. "Nice timing, Sammy," he remarked with a frown. 

"Geez, you guys look like you're freezing." Her voice was lighter than it had been before they left and she held out mugs of tea for them. 

Sarah noticed the change in Chloe's demeanor and smiled, taking the mug. "Well, Sam did keep me warm, but after while, when you can't feel your toes..." She cast a glance up at Sam, who had turned a little red.

"Chloe, you look... better," Sam remarked, ignoring the knowing look Dean was giving him as he took the other mug from her hand and sat in the nearest chair, bringing Sarah down to sit on his knees. 

A faint smile touched her lips and she gazed at Sarah. "Yeah...just...got some good news for once." 

"You're not...?" she asked, a glimmer of hope entering her eyes. 

"I'm not," she confirmed, glancing at Dean. 

Sam looked at Dean. "Seriously? Then what was all that about earlier today?"

He shrugged. "False positive," he replied, pulling Chloe into his arms. He didn't notice Missouri had entered the room again, a knowing smirk on her face. 

Missouri smiled at all of them. "Well, I have two guest rooms which you're welcome to stay in as long as you're here." 

"Thanks, Missouri," Sam replied with a smile. "We might need to stay here a couple days, especially since... we need to know if you can help Chloe or not." 

"Just try to behave," she said, looking at Sam and Sarah with a faint smirk. 

A little shocked and faintly embarrassed, Sarah ducked her head between her braids. "I was figuring on staying with Chloe anyway."

Dean simply snorted sarcastically.

Sam had the decency to color faintly. "Yes, ma'am." 

Chloe couldn't help but smile. "Where exactly is here anyway?" she asked, missing the look that passed between Sam and Dean. 

Shit, Dean thought, looking at Sam. When his brother said nothing, however, he pulled away from Chloe and looked at her. "Lawrence," he replied softly. 

"Oh." She nodded slightly, not seeming phased by the information at all. 

Missouri smiled a bit. "She's a smart girl, boys. She knew you were going to Kansas." 

"I just wasn't sure what town," Chloe admitted. 

"Wait. You knew and you didn't say anything?" Dean demanded softly, turning to look at Sam.

"Dude, I didn't say anything!" he protested, putting his hands up. 

"You said you were going to visit a family friend...and you guys are originally from Kansas. It was just a guess." She shrugged a little. 

Sarah smiled. Oh yeah, she's a fireball, she thought, glancing back at Sam, who wore an awed expression.

"So all the sneaking and trying to keep that from you was for nothing?" Dean asked, a confused look on his face. "You don't... mind?" 

She sighed softly. "If I said I was thrilled, I'd be lying. But...we're nowhere near Smallville or Metropolis, so..." 

Sam smiled faintly at her. "And we won't be," he promised. 

"No, not going anywhere near there," Dean agreed, looking at Sam. 

"Well, then there's nothing to worry about." 

"Okay, then," Dean replied, smiling warmly at Chloe and needing to have some alone time with her suddenly. He crushed that thought immediately but saw Missouri's faint smile and shot a mock glare at her. "Don't even say it," he warned. 

Missouri raised her eyebrows. "Why don't you two go bring us all back something for dinner?" she suggested. 

"Good idea," Dean said and grabbed Chloe's hand, racing them both out the door, leaving an amused Sam and Sarah watching them leave. 

&&&&&

Missouri sat at the kitchen table across from Sam and Sarah, sipping her mug of tea. She smiled at both of them. "More sugar for your tea, Sarah?" she asked, reading the other woman's thoughts. 

Blushing a little, she looked up at Missouri. "Please, Missouri," she said softly, holding out her mug. Her eyes met Sam's again. "I like my tea really sweet, you know." 

Sam smiled and ducked his head a little. 

Missouri simply smiled and passed the sugar bowl over to the younger woman. "So why don't you tell me what's been going on with Chloe." 

Taking the bowl, she filled her tea with several spoonfuls of sugar. "Sam probably knows more than you do, but I know she thought she was pregnant, by... some guy in her past."

"Clark," Sam replied, not looking at anyone. 

"Hmm, yeah, I knew that." She nodded slightly, her eyes thoughtful. She looked at Sam. "And you met her on the side of the road?" 

He let out a breath. "Yeah. Literally. Dean thought she was cute and insisted we stop." 

"You thought she was a demon." A faint smile tugged at her lips. 

Sarah laughed a little. "You thought she was a demon?" She saw Sam eye her warily and put her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "You gotta admit, though. She is cute." 

"Wouldn't be the first time I met a demon on the side of the road in human form," he said grimly. "Remind me to tell you about Meg sometime." 

Missouri grimaced. "That poor woman." She shook her head slightly and sipped her tea. 

"Meg?" she asked, looking from Missouri to Sam. Maybe she didn't want to know about this girl, though she admitted she was awfully curious about Sam's life on the road. She put her tea down and looked at Sam. "So you didn't want to pick up Chloe, huh?" 

He managed a small, wry smile. "No. I didn't." 

"Looks like you changed your mind, though, or else she probably wouldn't be here," she continued, a twinkle in her eyes. 

"Dean was the one driving." He smiled a bit. 

Missouri smiled too. "You woulda stopped too, Sammy. You have a good heart." 

"Yeah, he does," she whispered, staring at him, her eyes filling a little with some unknown emotion. She suddenly remembered what Missouri had said to her about Sam and flushed, her cheeks stained a soft reddish color. 

Sam smiled faintly and covered her hand with his own. "Do you think you can help Chloe?" he asked quietly, looking at Missouri. 

"I'm sure gonna try," she told him, nodding a little. 

"What could you do to help her?" Sarah asked quietly. "I mean, since you're psychic, would going into her mind be a good thing?" She glanced at Sam, who was looking at her oddly. She squeezed his hand. "What? Told you I knew a little bit." 

"Well, I wouldn't exactly be going into her mind. But I do know hypnosis and it can be fairly cathartic." 

"So, you think that might cure... whatever's wrong with her?" Sam asked, frowning slightly. Something told him there was a little more to it than mere hypnotism. 

"Well, there's not a cure for brainwashing, Sam," she said calmly. "But the first step would be recovering whatever memories she may have lost." 

"Or maybe forget those memories that have been heightened by the brainwashing," Sarah replied. She glanced at the clock. "Wonder what's keeping them? I'm getting a little hungry." She pulled her hand away from Sam and took another sip of tea. 

A knowing smile on Missouri's face, she nodded slightly as the front door opened and Dean and Chloe appeared, carrying a couple large pizzas. 

"Really, Chlo, we should have gotten the free pizza with the anchovies," Dean protested, following Chloe back into the kitchen, a six-pack in his hand. "Sam would have loved that one."

Rolling his eyes, Sam stood up. "Gee, thanks, Dean. You know my feelings on that subject."

"Sure, Emo-boy," Dean replied with a smirk. 

"I don't like 'em either, Sam," Chloe told him with a small smile as she sat down. 

Missouri reached out and took a slice of pizza from the first box. 

"Good, cause those are just gross," Sarah replied, grabbing a slice of pizza. "Want a beer, Sam?" she asked, looking at him with a bright smile. 

Chloe looked at Missouri in surprise and the older woman chuckled. "I occasionally drink one, Chloe. I keep them more for guests." 

Sam grinned. "Sure. Sounds great." He smiled at Sarah. 

Dean sat down at the table next to Sam and watched the girls getting their food and drinks. "How's it going with Sarah?" he whispered. "Gotten anywhere yet?" He saw the way he was looking at the brunette and grinned. 

He gave his brother a sour look. "Dude. Back off," he whispered back. 

"Okay, geeze, touchy much?" Dean watched Sarah put a longneck bottle in front of Sam. Opening his own beer, he took a long drink and looked at Chloe. "So, what have you guys been doing?"

Sarah pulled out a chair for Chloe and sat in her original seat, smiling at the blonde. 

"Just talking," he answered tensely, not looking at Dean as he took a drink. 

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden tension she sensed between the brothers and wondered where that had come from. 

Standing up, Sarah walked around to Sam, leaning down. "Can we talk in the other room?" she whispered in his ear. She saw the look on Dean's face and couldn't help thinking something was wrong. 

"Sure." He slowly stood up, heading out into the living room. 

Dean watched them go, a mixture of relief and jealousy in his demeanor. 

Once out in the living room, Sarah turned and looked at Sam. "Okay, what's with you two?" she asked casually, brushing back a braid as she took a drink of her beer. 

He let out a breath. "I don't know," he said quietly, feeling tired all of a sudden as he sat down on the sofa. 

She sat down next to him. "He's picking on you about me, isn't he?" she asked, sad all of a sudden. Maybe Missouri was wrong about Dean liking her, she thought. Why else would he do something like that? 

"No." He shook his head a little. "It's not about you or Chloe. There's been this...I dunno...tension since Dad died." 

"Think maybe he's not dealing with his death?" she asked softly, putting a hand on his slumped shoulders. "Looks like you're not doing so well in that department, either." 

He tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it. "No. I'm not," he admitted. "But Dean's doing even worse." 

She looked down, utterly unsure what to say or do about it. Being an only child, she didn't know what it must have been like having a sibling around. And to have that sibling like Dean, well... she imagined Sam's life was an interesting one. "You tried talking to him about it?" 

"He's pretty much shut me out entirely," he said dejectedly. 

Putting her drink down on the coffee table, Sarah wrapped her arms around Sam and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered sadly, feeling the weight of his burden just as surely as if it had happened to her. "What can I do?" 

Letting out a breath, he slowly curled his arms around her. "I don't know. Nothing, I don't think. It's just...one of those things that's gonna have to work themselves out." 

"Maybe," she whispered, holding him close, "but you know you can always talk to me. I don't mind." 

"I do know that," he said softly, kissing her cheek. 

She smiled, not letting him go. She wanted to stay there with him forever and ignore the sounds coming from the kitchen. "Sam, can I tell you something?" she asked softly, a little hesitant about what he'd say. 

"Of course. What's up?" He looked at her with concerned eyes. 

She blushed at his worried look. "When I was helping Missouri in the kitchen earlier... she, uh, told me something about you." She ducked her head, unable to meet his eyes. She bit her lip to keep the smile from her face. 

His eyebrows furrowed. "What did she say?" 

Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "She told me you loved me, Sam." She blushed harder and kept her eyes averted for fear of what she'd find there. 

"Oh," he whispered. Gazing at her, he touched her cheek lightly and turned her face back to look at him. "I do love you, Sarah." He kissed the corner of her mouth softly. 

His touch surprised her. She looked up at him, her lips turning up in a smile that lit up her face. "You do?" she asked. "Wow." She didn't know what else to say, though her eyes twinkled as she stared at his handsome face. 

Sam couldn't help but smile at the way her eyes lit up. "You're amazing. How could I not love you?" 

She bit her lip again, though it was more out of the sudden attack of nervousness she had. "We haven't known each other that long, you know." She touched his cheek gently, a longing look in her eyes. 

"I know," he admitted, smiling faintly. "And I'm not saying let's move fast. I'm just...being honest." 

"That's one thing you and your brother have in common," she whispered, leaning in and kissing him gently. 

He kissed her back, touching her cheek. "Yeah. And that's about it anymore." 

She felt his despair and rubbed his arm in comfort. "He'll come around, Sam. I know he will. He loves you, ya know. Kinda saw that the first time we met." She grinned at him. 

Nodding a little, he kissed her cheek once more. "You wanna go for a walk?" 

"Thought you'd never ask," she whispered, leaning into his kiss, then standing up. "Just so you know... not gonna take me long to feel the same about you." She held out her hands to grasp his. 

A smile tugged at his lips and he took her hand, leading her out of the house and under the star-filled sky. 

&&&&&

A few hours later, Sarah reluctantly left Sam at the room he and Dean were sharing and moved to the other spare room, where she found Chloe sitting on one of the twin beds in the room. She blonde looked lost in thought, and the last thing Sarah wanted to do was scare her. She cleared her throat loudly and shut the door. "Hey, Chloe," she said. 

"Hey." She blinked and managed a small, faint smile. "This should be interesting. Haven't had a slumber party in awhile," she remarked. 

Moving away from the door, she laughed faintly. "Actually, I've never done a slumber party before, so this would be a first." She bent down and grabbed her sleeping clothes from her suitcase, already missing Sam and thinking about the evening they'd spent together. 

"Really?" There was a hint of surprise in Chloe's voice and she glanced at Sarah before pulling the covers back on the bed she'd chosen. 

She nodded. "I didn't have many friends growing up," she replied, looking down at the PJ's in her hands. "Well, not girl friends, anyway. Usually I spent time at Dad's auction house and hung out with his friend's kids." 

"Oh," she said softly, tucking some blonde hair behind her ear and moving to get her own bag. "Other than my cousin...I didn't have any girl friends until I was in high school. And that was..." She shook her head a little. "Rocky." 

Sarah sat down on her bed and looked at Chloe. "Rocky, huh? How so?" She saw the change in the girl's eyes and winced inwardly. Probably not something she should have asked. 

Chloe sat down on the edge of the bed. "Well...we were both in love with the same guy, for one." A sad smile touched her lips. 

"Ouch," she whispered, looking down. "And I take it the guy loved only one of you?" She briefly wondered if this was the same guy who had... well, it was a moot point, she thought. 

"Yeah. Her." She sighed softly and pulled her pajamas out of the bag. 

She sighed. "Some guys are so stupid, ya know? They really don't have a clue." She glanced towards the door, thinking about Sam and the issues he had with Dean and shook her head. 

"Or maybe they do," she murmured, changing into her flannel PJ's. "So what do you think of life on the road so far?" 

She smiled faintly and turned her back to change. "It's been interesting, to say the least," she replied matter-of-factly. "I just hope I don't get in the way. I mean, I can't exactly fight... not that Sam can't teach me." 

"Well, that makes two of us," Chloe told her with a wry smile. 

"Glad we're in the same boat, then," she replied, turning around in her PJ's and smiling. She pulled back the sheets of her bed. "Sam's told me you were a reporter at the Daily Planet, so you have the whole research thing going for you." She wasn't sure if she had anything worth contributing, she mused as she got into bed. 

Letting out a breath, Chloe crawled into bed and turned so she was facing Sarah. "Guess we'll learn the whole fighting thing together." 

"Just let's not argue like those two, okay?" she asked softly, nodding towards the guys' room. "They can get downright mean sometimes." 

"Tell me about it. I've had to break them up twice since I've been with them." 

She laughed ruefully. "You think they're just normally like this because they're brothers, or because they're not dealing with their father's death?" She turned to face Chloe as she threaded the braids out of her hair. 

"Probably a little of both...but more of the latter," she said softly, looking worried. 

"Yeah, Sam's not taking it well. He thinks... he told me that... he thinks Dean has shut him out totally." Her gaze turned sad for both the Winchester guys. She couldn't imagine what they were going through. 

Chloe exhaled softly. "Yeah, I see that too."

Looking down, she played with the blanket. "Anything we can do about it? I hate to see these two implode. Especially since they only have each other now." 

"They have us too," she whispered, gazing at Sarah. "But yeah...I'll talk to Dean." 

She smiled at Chloe's words. Yeah, Sam had her... and Chloe had Dean. And if anyone could get through to Sam's obnoxious older brother, it'd be the pretty blonde sitting across the room from her. "Yeah, they have us, too." 

Chloe smiled faintly back at the other woman. "So what was it like growing up in New York?" she asked curiously. 

Chuckling, she glanced around the room. "Oh, you know, the usual. The only child of a set of really rich parents who loved their work so much they wanted their daughter to follow in their footsteps." She couldn't hold back the grimace from her face. 

She winced inwardly, sensing Sarah had a lot of skeletons in her own closet. "Well that couldn't have been easy." 

"Not really," she admitted with a small shrug. "I think maybe my parents would die if they knew what I really wanted to do." And it had nothing to do with freaky, ugly antiques, she thought. 

"What do you really wanna do?" Chloe propped her head up on one hand and gazed at her. 

She grinned. "Honestly? I'm torn between owning a ranch and researching... anything for anyone who'd have me." She'd loved horses all her life, and though she had been riding for as long as she could remember, her parents had always frowned upon her love of them. And when she wanted to learn something, well, they were only happy when it was about a painting or antique they'd acquired. 

She smiled back. "Well, I don't know much about horses, but...I can definitely identify with the researching. Do you have any interest in writing?" she asked, her eyes twinkling a little. 

Sarah laughed at the interested look on Chloe's face. "Actually, no, but I could research something until the cows come home. Then maybe I'd research the cows." She grinned happily at the mere thought. Maybe she could be useful to the guys on their hunts. "I take it writing's pretty much a given for you in the research department?" 

She blushed a little. "It's pretty much all I've dreamed about doing since I was five and started reading the Daily Planet every morning." 

She cocked her head and studied the blonde for a moment. "I can see you now: the intrepid journalist, tracking down that hot lead for your front-page story." Chloe looked like she longed to return to that life, too. "Ever thought about... going back someday?" 

She was quiet for a moment. "It's not who I am anymore." 

"Sorry, but that's crap," she replied with a gentle smirk. 

A faint smile tugged at Chloe's lips and she nodded slightly. "I think about it all the time. But..." 

"Well, who says you have to return to the Daily Planet?" Sarah asked with a grin, becoming more excited by the minute. "There are so many other papers out there... Oh, maybe I could help you research alternate ways to the Daily Planet!" 

"Like...emailing stories in?" 

"Yeah, like that." She saw the spark behind Chloe's eyes and knew she'd find a way to get back to what she loved first. "Since I don't see Dean settling down anytime soon, you might have to freelance for awhile." 

Her eyes widened a little. "I think you're jumping to conclusions about me and Dean." 

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replied softly, her cheeks burning red. "I thought... I assumed..." She signed at her own bumbling mouth and looked down. 

"Things are just...incredibly complicated," she whispered, resting her head on the pillow and looking up at the ceiling. 

Sarah thought briefly about Sam and chuckled to herself. "When aren't things?" she asked, more to herself than to Chloe. 

"No kidding," she murmured, shutting her eyes for a moment. "You and Sam will be fine though." 

"Maybe. He's as hard-headed as his brother at times." 

A smile tugged at her lips. "Must be genetic." 

Sarah snorted with laughter. "Yeah, must be." She looked around the room. "So we talked about guys... what else do you do at a slumber party?" 

"Well, generally there's nail painting and hair braiding," she answered with a smirk. "Sometimes Truth or Dare. That generally ends in disaster, though." 

Sarah laughed. "Especially if we dared each other to get the boys involed. Missouri would love that, and I wouldn't wanna make her mad." 

Chloe chuckled. "Definitely not." 

"Does a sleepover involve... chocolate of some kind?" She suddenly had a craving for hot chocolate and smiled expectantly. 

Chloe grinned. "No slumber party is complete without chocolate." 

"Want some hot chocolate, then? I betcha Missouri's got some stashed somewhere." Sarah stood up, feeling as giddy as a teenager. 

"I bet she does too." Chloe climbed out of bed and headed for the door quickly. 

Giggling softly, Sarah followed Chloe out the door and down the hall into the kitchen... and found Dean and Sam sitting at the kitchen table, drinking the last of the two beers from earlier. A shocked smile touched her lips as she looked at Chloe. They hadn't noticed their presence yet. 

A wicked smile touched Chloe's face and she held a finger to her lips silencing the other girl and ducking into the living room. "Think we can scare them?" she whispered, her voice almost inaudible. 

Stifling a giggle, she whispered lowly, "We can try. Gotta suggestion?" '

"There's a window in the kitchen." Chloe glanced toward the front door, still grinning. 

Catching the hint, Sarah nodded emphatically. "Let's go." She crept across the room to the front door, ever so quietly opening it. She turned around and grinned secretively at Chloe. 

Chloe grinned back and followed her out the door, shutting it so quietly no one would ever know it had been opened in the first place. They both snuck around to the back of the house and she covered her mouth with one hand to stifle a giggle as Sarah knocked lightly on the window and ducked out of sight. 

The small rapping startled Dean out of his thoughts: he and Sam had been too quiet, sitting at the table. He immediately reached for his gun. 'You hear that?" he said in a very soft voice. 

Immediately on alert, Sam looked toward the window. "Hell yes I heard it," he whispered. 

Holding his gun to him, Dean nodded towards the kitchen window and stood up slowly and quietly. His body was tense and poised to face whatever thing was trying to get into Missouri's house. With Sam behind him, he crept to the kitchen window and slowly opened it. The night stared back at him, but he knew... something was out there. He lifted himself up and started making his way out the window.

When Sarah heard the window slide open, she turned mischievous eyes at Chloe. She nodded towards her, asking her wordlessly to grab whichever brother was trying to climb out the window and made herself ready. 

Stifling a giggle, Chloe reached out and caught right arm at the same time Sarah grabbed his left one. They pulled him right out the window, all three of them landing on the ground, Dean letting out a startled yelp. From inside, she heard Sam call his brother's name and she couldn't take it anymore. She began to laugh. 

"What the hell??" Dean shouted, feeling his body land hard on the ground. He was surrounded by female laughter and he looked up, seeing Chloe and Sarah around him, laughing so hard they were crying. "Christ, are you trying to kill me?!" he demanded, trying to get up.

Despite the snow and cold, Sarah curled up in a ball and couldn't stop laughing. Her stomach hurt from her current fits of laughter. 

Chloe did the same thing, tears rolling down her face from laughing so hard. 

"What the hell?" Sam asked, bewildered as he stuck his head out the window. 

Still on his butt, sore from the scare he'd just gotten, he looked up at his brother. "Dude, get out here and help your girl. These two..." He shook his head, looking at the girls, tears in their eyes from their laughter. "Haha, very funny."

"Chloe, I think we got 'em, alright," she whispered between giggles. 

"Oh yeah." Chloe panted for breath from laughing and looked up at the twinkling stars above, a grin settling on her face. 

Sam shook his head as he closed the kitchen window and a moment later made it around to the back of the house. "You two are gonna freeze." 

"Then you might wanna help me up," Sarah replied, her laughter subsiding as she looked up at him, a satisfied smirk on her face. 

Without a word, Dean rolled over and stood up, then scooped Chloe into his arms and took her back into the house. He heard Sarah's swoop of laughter and knew Sam was taking care of her. Taking Chloe into the kitchen, he sat down with her in his lap and said, "What the hell were you two doing?" 

"Sarah never had a slumber party before," she told him with a small smile, shivering as the cold settled into her bones. 

"Yeah, I just wanted to know what it was like," Sarah replied, her arms slung around Sam's as he put her down and went off to look for towels.

"So apparently your slumber parties involved trying to kill someone?" he asked, a twinkle entering his eye as he looked at her. He put her into her own chair and found the tea kettle to put on some hot water. 

"We weren't trying to kill you," she said with a grin. "Just wanted to surprise you." 

Dean laughed. "Yeah, that was a surprise. I could have killed one of you." He turned to see Sam come back with a couple blankets and towels. He took one of each from his brother and started smoothing the snow out of Chloe's hair.

"Geez, you two are no fun," Sarah replied, shivering a little herself as she attempted to shake the snow off her. 

Sam smiled a little and wrapped one of the blankets around Sarah's shoulders. "He's right, though," he said worriedly. 

Chloe gazed at Dean. "Funny, I never felt in danger for a second." 

"Me neither," Sarah said, looking up at Sam and grinning at him. She wrapped the blanket around her tightly.

Sighing, Dean looked at Chloe. "What am I gonna do with you?" He brushed her hair out of her face. 

She smiled a little. "Who knows?" 

Dean gently dried her hair and watched her wrap the blanket around her. "You and Sarah. You two are as bad as --"

"You and Sam?" Sarah asked innocently, looking over at Chloe and grinning. 

Chloe couldn't help but grin back at her newfound friend. She winked at Sarah. 

Sam shook his head in amusement. "In that case, Dean and I better stay on our guard." 

She heard the teakettle begin to whistle and stood up, kissing Sam's cheek lightly. "You'd better," she teased, moving to the stove and turning off the heat. Grabbing two mugs, she said, "Hot chocolate, anyone?" 

"Definitely." Chloe shivered under the blanket and held one hand out. 

"Thanks, I'll stick to my beer," Dean replied with a smirk, watching Sarah make two mugs of hot chocolate and pass one to Chloe. He grabbed his beer and knocked a long one back. "What have you two been talking about?" 

"Just...stuff," Chloe answered vaguely, sipping the hot liquid. 

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Which means us, right?" 

Sarah bowed her head and blushed, her hair hiding her face a little. She took a small sip of her drink.

"Yeah, they were talking about us," Dean said, looking at his brother. He sat down next to Chloe and looked at her. "Wonder what it was." 

"Guess you'll keep on wondering," she replied with a smirk. 

Sam chuckled softly at the embarrassed look on Sarah's face and the smirk on Chloe's. "I guess we will." 

Dean rolled his eyes and took another drink of his beer, trying to make it last. "Looks like these two have bonded, Sammy." He smirked, though a pleased twinkle was in his eyes. 

He smiled and looked at the girls. "Good," he said quietly. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he sensed both of them needed another friend. 

Chloe drained the last drop of her hot chocolate. "Well, I think it's time to get outta the wet pajamas before I come down with pneumonia." 

"I'm with you," Sarah agreed, keeping the blanket wrapped around her firmly. "Last thing I need is getting sick." She took the mug from Chloe and put both of them in the sink.

His eyes still twinkling, Dean asked, "Need help with that, Chloe?" 

She paused in the doorway and turned to look at him with a smirk on her face. "If I do, I'll let you know." 

Thatta girl, Sarah thought, shooting the boys a knowing look before turning on her heel and going back to their room, shutting the door softly behind them.

Scratching his head, Dean looked at Sam. "What just happened, dude?" 

Sam smirked at his brother, an amused twinkle in his eyes. "I think Chloe's feeling better." 

He glanced back at the girls' room and wondered just what Sarah had said to make Chloe do what he couldn't. A soft smile graced his lips. "She needs a friend," he mused out loud, looking at Sam. "Seems your girl is helping her out." 

He smiled a bit. "Who doesn't need a friend?" he said quietly, rising to his feet, tossing his beer bottle in the trash and slowly heading out of the room. 

Frowning, Dean finished off his beer and followed Sam. As he passed the girls' room, he couldn't help but listen for some sound, but to his regret, he heard nothing. He went into the other guest room and shut the door. "Dude, what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sitting on his twin bed. 

"What's what supposed to mean?" Sam asked wearily, changing into a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. 

"I'm asking you, Sammy. You calling me friendless?" The question hurt, because despite outward appearances, Dean had always considered his brother a friend, even if he didn't know how to show it most of the time. 

"No," he answered without looking at him, pulling the blankets back on the bed. 

"Then you must be the one feeling friendless." He scooted back and laid down on top of the covers, knitting his hands underneath his head to stare at the ceiling. 

"I didn't say that either," Sam responded, crawling into the bed across the room from his brother. 

Then why are we having this asinine conversation? he asked himself, grinding his teeth as he kept his eyes on the ceiling. 

"Night, Dean," he said quietly, turning over in the opposite direction. 

"'Night," he replied flatly, knowing sleep wouldn't find him. Chloe and Sarah's prank had taken him by surprise, to the point that he had no idea what to make of it. He closed his eyes, unsuccessfully trying to mark out the memory of her sparkling eyes and her laughter. 

&&&&&

Missouri sat in her recliner, though it was in the upright position, as she gazed at Chloe, who sat nervously before her on the sofa. Dean stood by the door, while Sam and Sarah occupied the other seats. "It's okay to be nervous. But you're safe here," she told the young woman. 

Chloe clasped her hands together. She swallowed hard, not sure she could go through with this. She turned uncertain eyes at Missouri, who was watching her with warm eyes.

Dean had a hard time trying to keep his composure, watching Chloe look as nervous as a jackrabbit over this. "Maybe this isn't a good idea," he whispered to himself. 

"It's all gonna be all right," Missouri said softly, looking back and forth between them. She shifted her gaze to Sam and Sarah. "This'll probably be easier without a crowd," she said, not unkindly. 

"Right. Of course." Sam rose to his feet, reaching his hand out for Sarah's and then moving over to where Chloe was sitting. "You're gonna be all right," he said quietly, kissing the top of her head.

Nodding but not looking at either of them, she whispered, "Yeah, thanks."

Dean nodded to Sam and Sarah, who retreated back to one of the guest rooms while the hypnosis took place. He moved to the empty seat that his brother had occupied, his eyes on Chloe. 

"Chloe, just try to relax," Missouri said in a soothing voice. "Just listen to the sound of my voice." 

Nodding, Chloe took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind of every thought. She listened to the soft drone of Missouri's voice. 

"I want you to go back, when you were in Topeka," Missouri said in a soft tone, leaning forward and studying Chloe intently as the girl fell into a light trance-state. "But know that you're safe now, and no one can hurt you. You're here with friends." 

Missouri's voice drifted her into darkness from a tunnel. In her mind she walked towards that voice, letting it lead her back to where... She stiffened a little at the memory of the preacher's voice but relaxed immediately, knowing she was with people she trusted. 

"Tell me what's happening, Chloe." 

She saw... darkness. Everywhere. "Dark," she muttered to herself. "No lights." Her brows furrowed slightly as, in her mind, she attempted to peer into the dark. Her fingers tightened on the arms of the chair as she tried to stick with this. 

"Remember, you're safe, Chloe," Missouri told her gently. "Nothing bad can happen to you. I want you to walk farther into the darkness. And tell me what you see, what you hear." 

Dean watched with his breath caught in his throat, gripping the sides of the chair himself to keep from moving to her side.

"No light, nothing," Chloe continued to mutter. "Only... his... voice." She sobbed involuntarily as she heard his words surrounding her, haunting her... grabbing a hold and never letting her go. 

Missouri shifted her gaze to Dean and nodded slightly toward Chloe before turning her attention back to the girl. "It's all right, Sweetheart. What is he saying to you?" 

Tears started falling down her face. "He's telling... me that... I... I should be... filled with... G-God's... love... b-but... he's s-saying s-s-something else..." She sobbed as she heard, for the first time it seemed, the words the man had actually said. She heard the growl of the Prio Motu in the background, felt the icy chill of something on the back of her spine. Death, she felt. 

"Chloe, I want you to look to your left. Dean is standing right beside you. He's going to keep you safe. Okay? Can you see him?" 

In her mind's eye, she saw Dean out of the corner of her eye. Wielding his gun like a sword, he was like her savior, her knight. Still sobbing, she nodded her head wordlessly. She wanted to cry out, beg him to save her, but she was paralyzed by the bodiless words.

Dean wanted to wipe the tears from her face, but he remained glued to his chair, reminding himself that Missouri was helping her. 

"Go over to her and hold her hand," she whispered to him, nodding toward Chloe. 

Standing, he moved to where Chloe sat and knelt by her, gently grasping one of her hands. He felt the tension suddenly leave the room as he body instantly relaxed.

"Dean," she called, her voice filled with the loneliness and despair she felt. Because of what the preacher was saying. She sucked in her breath and held it. 

"That's right, Chloe. Dean's with you. You're safe now. Nothing bad's gonna happen to you," Missouri promised. "Can you tell me what the man is saying?" 

Grasping Dean's hand as if her life depended on it, she whispered brokenly, "He... says... I'm going to hell... for loving him..." It was like the words were being repeated over and over again in her head, slowly driving her crazy. 

"For loving who, Chloe?" 

"Clark." The word came from the depths of her broken, shattered heart.

Dean bowed his head, feeling the weight of that single word descend upon him. He gently kissed her knuckles and didn't look up again. 

"All right, Chloe. I want you to turn around and walk back the direction you came from until you see the light." 

Chloe felt the darkness subside and pull away from her. She heard the voice dissipate and fade. She gradually became aware of the light shining brightly on her face. "I see it," she whispered, feeling at peace with its all-encompassing warmth. 

Missouri smiled faintly. "When you wake up, I want you to remember that warmth, and that peace. And know that nothing that man told you was true. Do you understand, Chloe?" 

She nodded. She did know. The old woman's voice spread throughout her being, smoothing over the roughness of the preacher's words, pushing them into oblivion. Unconsciously, she squeezed Dean's hand, unaware she held anything.

When he saw the change in her face, the peacefulness he'd never seen before, he felt his heart literally stop at the sheer beauty of her face. He wanted to take that and frame the memory for the rest of his life. 

"Now I want you to wake up, Chloe. Feeling safe and refreshed, and peaceful." 

She listened to Missouri's words, opening her eyes and gazing at the older woman as if for the first time. She felt refreshed and peaceful, though she felt her wet cheeks and someone holding her hand. She turned to see who was holding her and saw Dean there, a look of concern written over his face. That ever present look, she thought with a smile.

"Hey, you," he whispered, smiling back at her, hoping Missouri's words had their effect. 

"Hey," she whispered back, a soft smile on her face as she gazed at him. 

Missouri smiled, immediately sensing that Chloe was much more at peace than she had been. "Well. I'll go make some tea." She rose to her feet and left the room. 

Dean barely noticed they were alone again, he was so consumed by what had just happened. Gently wiping her face dry, he whispered, "How are you feeling?" 

"Better," she said softly, her eyes brighter than they had been since before she met them. 

Still clasping her hand, he dried her face and smiled at her softly, his eyes lighting up. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. "So... happy right now." 

She smiled back at him, leaning into his touch a little. "Thanks for bringing me here." 

He chuckled a little. "Thank Sam. He was the one who suggested it." He touched her cheek softly, relishing the moment they shared together. 

"But you drove most of the way...I think." 

"Only because I wanted to drive," he replied. "You needed to get here. Right away. I was... worried about you." 

Chloe gazed at him for a moment, then leaned closer to him and brushed a gentle kiss over his cheek before sliding her arms around him. "Thank you." 

Dean stood and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. He buried his face into her neck and knew he had found his home there. With her. Wherever she went, he'd follow and protect her.

A small cough interrupted that moment, and he looked up to see Sam and Sarah standing at the entrance to the living room. Pulling back from Chloe reluctantly, he growled, "Don't just stand there, Sammy, get you two in here." 

Chloe turned to look at Sam and Sarah, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, guys." 

Sam felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sight. She looked a hundred times better than he'd seen her before. "Welcome back." He smiled and walked over, hugging her gently. 

"Wow, I don't know what Missouri did, but you look positively radiant," Sarah commented, hugging Chloe quickly in relief. 

She hugged Sarah back. "I feel better. A lot...a lot better," she admitted, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure what she did either, but..." She smiled. 

Sam looked at his brother and smiled. 

Dean's eyes showed the depth of his relief over the profound change in Chloe. It was the only way he could communicate this to Sam. He nodded slowly then turned Chloe around to hug her again. "So glad to see... you," he whispered, planting a kiss on top of her head. 

She gazed at him with warmth in her eyes. "It's good to be back," she said quietly. 

Sarah looked over at Sam, who wore a bright smile on his face. She knew he was as relieved as Dean was and couldn't help but be happy for her.

Dean was more than happy to keep her held to him as he tucked some blonde hair behind her ear. "Everything's okay? Seriously?" he asked, still uncertain. 

"Yeah. I feel...normal," she told him with a faint smile, her head resting against his chest. 

Sam wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulders, kissing her temple lightly. 

"Normal." He felt like his heart was beating out of his chest as he held her against him. Normal was good... He felt that glimmer of hope, that maybe... someday... she could learn to tolerate him. Maybe even... love him one day. 

She started when she heard the familiar jangle of her cell phone. Her eyebrows furrowing a little, she slowly pulled away from him and moved to pick it up off the table. She sucked in a breath as she saw Clark's name on the caller ID. 

Dean's face fell as he saw the look on her face and knew who is was immediately. "Clark," he replied flatly, looking at Sam.

Sarah turned a surprised look in Chloe's direction but said nothing. 

She drew in a breath and reluctantly placed the phone to her ear. "What do you want?" Her voice wasn't kind, more distant and formal. 

Clark winced at the harsh, flat tone of Chloe's voice. Not that he didn't deserve it, but now was not the time to hear about this. "Chloe, it's... Lana..." 

The breath caught in the back of her throat. "What about her?" she asked, instantly on edge and worried. 

"She's... the baby... she lost it." He voice trembled over the memories of that phone call, of Lana's broken voice pleading with Clark to help her. "She's been asking for you, Chloe." 

She shut her eyes. "Is she all right? Is she in the hospital?" 

Sam frowned deeply, looking over at Dean with worry in his eyes once more. 

Damn, so much for the chick flick moment, he thought, glancing back at Sam with more than worry in his eyes.

"She's at Smallville Medical Center. The doctor's think she'll be okay, but... she's lost a lot of blood and... she's been in and out of consciousness. Lois is beside herself." He paused for a moment, biting his lip. "Will you come, Chloe? Here? Come back home?" 

Chloe only hesitated a moment. "I'll be there soon." Her voice was quiet and she hung up the phone before slowly turning to look at her friends. "I have to go to Smallville." There was quiet determination in her voice. 

Dean crossed his arms. "Why?" he demanded slowly, feeling a wall between them once again. 

She met his eyes. "Lana lost the baby. She needs me," she answered, her eyes pleading for him to understand. 

Sarah's face fell into a mask of sorrow. "She needs to go, guys," she whispered, feeling horrible for her friend who'd lost her child. "But I’d like to come with you for moral support, Chloe."

Dean crossed his arms and looked at his brother. "We're all going." 

Sam nodded his agreement without hesitation. "I agree." 

Drawing in a breath, Chloe looked around at the three of them. She had a feeling she was going to need them all in order to face what was to come. "All right. Let's get going." 

Taking her hand, he said, "Be in the Impala in... ten minutes?" Dean wasn't looking forward to this, especially since he would probably have to meet Clark, but he was willing to do anything for her at this point. 

She nodded slightly, watching as Sam and Sarah left the room to go pack. Wordlessly she placed a kiss against Dean's lips, her hand lifting to touch his cheek. 

Surprised by her forwardness, he nevertheless closed his eyes and kissed her back, pulling her closer to him for a moment before letting her go. He touched her forehead with his, not wanting the moment to end. 

"I'm glad you're coming with me," she whispered. 

"What, and pass up the opportunity to meet the great Clark Kent?" he whispered, an edge to his voice. "I told you I'd follow wherever you went." 

A faint smile tugged at her lips, but her eyes were worried. "I'm not going for him," she said quietly, truthfully. "I'm only going because of Lana." 

"Then why do I get the feeling we're gonna run into him somewhere along the way?" he asked, staring at her pointedly. The fact that she looked worried once again bothered him, but at least it wasn't that deadpan stare into nothingness. This kind of worry he could handle. 

"Because Clark's been in love with Lana Lang since he was six," she admitted. 

"All the more reason for me to hang around," he replied idly, smiling at her softly. "Hey, you can pretend I'm your boyfriend, just to piss him off." He smirked, even though that thought pleased and hurt him at the same time. 

She gazed at him before kissing him once more, softly. "No. If I tell someone you're my boyfriend...it's gonna be because it's the truth," she whispered. 

He closed his eyes so she couldn't see the sheer havoc her words were having on his mind and body. Her mouth was doing enough of that kind of damage from which a man didn't return, he thought. "That'd be nice, too," he whispered, opening his eyes and boring them into hers. 

Then he heard a slight cough from Sam. 

"We're all ready, guys. We've got your stuff, too," Sam told them, knowing Chloe was anxious to head out to make sure her friend was all right. 

Chloe gazed at Dean a moment longer, her eyes soft. "Come on." 

Taking her hand, he whispered, "Yeah, let's get going." He didn't quite know what laid ahead for them when they got to Smallville, but he was sure this was something he'd probably never forget.


End file.
